


Experiments in Caramel Apple

by Cuda (Scylla)



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Gen, adventures in scooter's, bonding over coffee
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-30
Updated: 2014-10-30
Packaged: 2018-02-23 06:02:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2536847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scylla/pseuds/Cuda
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam's determined to show Castiel that the peanut butter and jelly incident doesn't have to be the end of the discussion. Castiel isn't sure about all this, but, well. It is Sam doing the asking, after all, which leads to a trip to Scooter's.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Experiments in Caramel Apple

Castiel hid a little behind Sam's shoulder in the Scooter's line, staring up at the menu boards with fear.

No, not fear. Fear was a very strong word. Apprehension, then. Misgiving.

This was a poor idea, and he said so.

Sam shook his head. "You said you missed food, Cas. But you never had coffee, right?"

Castiel tipped his head back, to give Sam the full brunt of his confusion. "Coffee is not a food, Sam. It's a beverage. We had several kinds of it at the Gas and Sip."

The woman standing in front of them turned her head, watching them with one eye. Castiel offered her a friendly nod. He'd been well versed in appropriate behavior, particularly at this Scooter's. This, as Sam reminded him beforehand, was the *only* coffeeshop near the Men of Letters bunker for miles. The following rules were always to be observed:

  1. Pay in cash.
  2. Smile.
  3. No conversations.
  4. Don't draw attention.
  5. Visit no more than once a week.
  6. Do not visit on the same day every week.



Castiel imagined the last two rules were self-imposed by Sam. Castiel had no more than a passing interest in this human beverage ritual. With a smile of his own, Sam rolled his shoulders. "We're trying things you've never had, to see if you like any of them."

"The peanut butter and jelly--" Castiel protested. Sam cut him off.

"--That doesn't mean *everything* will taste disgusting to you. Come on, Cas. Gabriel had a thing for sugar. Pretty sure Balthazar had a thing for--"

"--Nubile young women," Castiel finished grumpily. He felt as much as heard the rumble of Sam's low laugh.

"Yeah, that too," Sam agreed. Their line shuffled forward. Neither spoke for a moment, Castiel still edged behind Sam as they listened to the next patron give a complicated order.

Castiel tried another tack. "Should I have coffee? It contains caffeine. That's an unknown quantity. It could be dangerous. You and Dean have both suffered overdoses. If I metabolize it differently..." He trailed off, letting the unspoken threat lurk darkly in Sam's mind. The intent, however, lacked the desired result. Sam just chuckled again.

"Look, so you don't want to order, I get it. If I order your something, will you at least taste it?"

Something inside Castiel unclenched. He didn't necessarily want to use Sam as a crutch, but the last order - with its half-caffs and soy and two pumps of cinnamon and one pump of hazelnut - frankly seemed more spell than beverage. The sheer volume of options left him asea. Making decisions made him anxious at his core. What if he made the wrong one? What if there were unknown consequences?

With a nod, Castiel blew out a breath. Sam's smile broadened. He scanned the menu, while the line inched forward again. Castiel took the silence to center himself.

"Sweet or not?" Sam asked.

"I have no preference," Castiel replied. This was apparently not one of the available choices, or so Sam's exasperated sigh indicated.

Sam struggled when his good intentions failed. Castiel knew he saw this trip to Scooter's as good intentions. So for Sam's sake, he did his best to save it. "Ah. All right. Sweet, I suppose."

The relief evident in Sam's entire frame caused an echoing thrill in Castiel. They reached the counter a few moments later, and Castiel listened intently as Sam placed his order. One of those mystical coffee-based beverages with six ingredients and three special options, in a size Castiel couldn't parse.

And a caramel apple cider.

The barista wrote a name on both cups which was not 'Sam,' took Sam's cash (Sam smiled at her, Castiel noted, glad to see they were still following the rules) and waved them further down the counter. They skirted pyramids of coffee mugs, baskets of cookies and trays of chocolates and mints. Castiel examined them all curiously, but did not touch. The piles of goods looked precarious, and he didn't trust his motor control.

This spot afforded Castiel a clear view of the process, however, as a second barista constructed their drinks. He leaned a little over the counter, watching intently. Sam joined him a moment later, and then there was an arm around Castiel's shoulders, warm and solid. Sam touched Castiel a lot these days, for which he was grateful. He was still uncertain of social cues, and tended to hold back himself, but he enjoyed these moments of warmth.

The barista pushed cups and small pots under spouts, removed them, swirled, poured, and repeated the process. She had a confidence in the process that Castiel envied. With his second sight, he could see the energy swirling around her, as her confidence fed into the machines and they, in turn, fed it into her work. Finally, she pumped clear syrup from a forest of tall bottles, sprayed foamy whipped cream onto the top, and snapped on a domed lid.

Castiel's drink was much simpler, but no less interesting for that. The barista looked up at him and smiled. "Whipped cream and caramel on top?" Her goodwill was contagious, and he smiled back.

"Yes, please," He said. He didn't know if that was appropriate for cider, but it looked whimsical and he assumed she wouldn't offer an inappropriate option. Humans were frequently illogical, but not her, not now, as if the work and the shop afforded her some power.

He took the drink she gave him with a 'thank you,' and followed Sam out of the shop. He threaded both hands around the paper cup in its corrugated sheath and inhaled the fragrant steam. The pleasure in the smell - rich, tangy and sugary - surprised him. He held it closer to his nose. Peanut butter and jelly tasted like molecules, but scent seemed wholly different somehow.

"Probably still too hot," Sam cautioned. Castiel nodded, and held it close to his face instead, drinking in the steam and the smell of apple, caramel and unknown spice. They walked together back to the car from the strip mall, Sam's large hand lightly between Castiel's shoulderblades, guiding. He appreciated the gesture, as he couldn't seem to tear his focus away from the cup.

When he tasted it at last, the flavors exploded in his mouth. It was intense, overwhelming as Castiel tasted every molecule in the tiny sip. But Sam was - more or less - right. Without a previous memory, he couldn't anticipate now-inaccurate sensory input. It was strong but... not unpleasant. Combined with the luscious fragrance, caramel apple cider was honestly quite a pleasant experience. He took his time, savoring tiny sips, lingering over the aroma, until it had mostly gone cold.

Sam was exultant. Castiel realized belatedly that this had all been an experiment to bring Castiel pleasure, not for Sam's scientific curiosity. Sam had done this as a self-appointed caretaker. It was novel, feeling so cared for, and overwhelming in a completely new way. Like the cider, Castiel could only take it in sips.

**Author's Note:**

> Scooter's is a coffee shop franchise similar to Starbucks. They're pretty frequent in Nebraska, I guessed they might exist in Kansas too.


End file.
